[Info-vax] Are MX records mandatory to send mail from VMS to an SMTP server?

[Stafford Winters]

On 5/8/2012 12:16 AM, DTL wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> There is, as you know, a discussion in this list on trouble sending mail from VMS, and with all your help we are moving to a solution.
>
> But I do have another question.
>
> Are MX records mandatory to send mail from VMS to an SMTP server?
>
> I understand MX records allow me to handle my mail by myself on my box or on my server on an ISP site.
>
> Today, I do NOT wish to do so.
>
> My VMS box has no domain published on the Internet and I do NOT wish to receive mail on it. My gmail account is fine.
>
> The question is: Is it possible to separate send and receive? I mean, be allowed to send mail from the box to an smtp server on the Internet and configure nothing to be able to receive mail?

In my experience, to successfully send to any SMTP server, the IP 
address of the device which is connecting to the SMTP server must have 
an MX record for the domain for which it is sending the email.

If you wish to avoid inbound connections to a device with an MX record, 
set the priority very low.  You may also wish to block the inbound port, 
typically 25, at the network level, so that the device doesn't have to 
receive excess network interrupts.